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Vehicle seat

Vehicle seat description/claims

This is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/US2006/002922, filed Jan. 26, 2006, published on Aug. 3, 2006 (International Publication No. WO2006/081417A1) and claims the benefit of, and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/647,707, filed Jan. 27, 2005, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

Vehicle seats having pivotally mounted seat backs are a generally known and are a desirable optional feature in vehicles, including in sport utility vehicles, cross-over vehicles and station wagons. A pivotally mounted seat back commonly folds or pivots down onto the seat cushion. It is desirable to fold down the seat back to extend the rear load floor of the vehicle and to provide access to the trunk of a passenger car to increase its cargo carrying capacity.

It is also well known and desirable to optionally split the pivotally mounted seat back into two or more parts that can each be independently folded or pivoted down onto the seat cushion. In this embodiment, one seat back part can be pivoted down onto the rear seat to provide a partially extended rear load or trunk floor for transporting items longer than the cargo or trunk area without the seat back folded down (such as skis, hockey sticks, or the like). In this embodiment, the other part of the seat back of the seat may remain in the design or occupant position to provide a passenger carrying capability.

A variety of designs are known for providing a pivoting seat back in a vehicle. For example, it is known to use a single rod extending through aligned holes in the lower portions of the split seat backs and to have end brackets and a middle bracket between the split seat backs through which the rod also passes. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,395. The use of such a single long rod is undesirable since installation of the rod requires alignment and access which may be difficult with modern vehicle architectures. Further if the rod is made unusable, it will likely affect both portions of the split seat back and service is difficult and replacement expensive.

It is generally known to use pivot pins connected to a bracket located on each side of the split seat back and connected to the floor, instead of a single long rod to achieve pivoting of the seat back. In a pivot pin mount device, a bracket having a passage or hole for receiving the pivot pin is mounted on the other of the seat back and the floor from where the pivot pin is mounted. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,015,026; and 4,708,385. These devices have a significant drawback during installation. Because the trunk pass-thru typically is completely blocked by the seat backs and the pivot pins must be installed in the holes (one on the seat, the other on the bracket) it is necessary for a seat back installer to bolt the bracket and/or pins to the seat back and/or floor from behind the seat backs (i.e., from within the cargo or trunk area). This is particularly difficult in a two door vehicle and creates significant delays in trying to quickly, efficiently, and ergonomically install the seat backs.

It is also generally known to use a latch mechanism for connecting a foldable seat back to the vehicle structure. It is known to mount or connect the latch on either a bracket connected to the floor or vehicle structure or to mount or connect the latch on the seat back for connection to a pivot pin or to a striker bar connected to the vehicle. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,909,571 and 5,685,612. Again, while such designs are known, they are relatively expensive and subject to being operated while the seat back is in a design or occupant position.

It is also generally known to use a spring loaded pivot pin for a vehicle seat back. The spring-loaded pivot pin can be pushed in against the action of the spring to provide for the installation of the vehicle seat back. However, a spring of significant force is needed to insure the pivot pin remains engaged at all times. Accordingly, an installer must use significant effort to overcome the force of the spring while trying to install the seat back, or a tool is required to hold the pivot pin in a retracted position until properly installed.

There remains a significant need for an improved pivot pin design and installation method which overcomes the noted drawbacks and is a robust design and cost effective, including to service. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have an improved method of installing a pivotally mounted seat back for use in a vehicle. It would be further advantageous to provide a pivotally mounted seat back that can be installed in simple brackets that do not include expensive latches. It also would be advantageous to provide a pivotally mounted seat back that can be easily installed but cannot be easily uninstalled by a vehicle operator as part of the normal use of the vehicle seat.

One exemplary embodiment relates to a vehicle seat having a seat back pivotable between at least an install position, a stow position and a design position, the vehicle seat also having a seat cushion configured to be installed in the vehicle. A first bracket is configured to be coupled proximate the seat back pivot and the first bracket includes one of a keyed passage and a keyed pin, the keyed pin being configured to be received within the keyed passage. The seat back includes the other one of the keyed passage and the keyed pin. And wherein the keyed passage and the keyed pin are configured so the keyed pin may be installed or removed from the keyed passage only when the seat back is in an install position and the seat back will be prevented from being positioned in the install position after the seat cushion has been installed in the vehicle.

Another exemplary embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing a vehicle seat configured to be installed within a vehicle, the vehicle seat having a seat back and a seat cushion. The method comprises the steps of providing a seat cushion and a seat back; providing a first bracket having one of a keyed pin and a keyed passage configured to receive the keyed pin; providing the other one of the keyed pin and the keyed passage on the seat back; and configuring the seat back, the keyed pin, and the keyed passage such that the seat back must be installed within the vehicle before the seat cushion. The method further comprises the steps of installing the seat back, rotating the seat back from the install position and then installing the seat cushion such that the seat back is in a usable position and is prevented from accessing the install position by the seat cushion.

Still another exemplary embodiment relates to a bracket assembly for coupling a vehicle seat having a seat back and a seat cushion within a vehicle. The bracket assembly comprises a first bracket, a pin, and a second bracket. The first bracket is configured to be coupled to one of the vehicle and the seat back. The pin is coupled to the first bracket and includes a keyed portion. The second bracket is configured to be coupled to the other one of the vehicle and the seat back and includes a keyed passage configured to receive the keyed portion of the pin. The pin and the second bracket are configured so that the keyed portion of the pin is received within the keyed passage of the second bracket only when the seat back is in a position that the seat back is prevented from assuming when the vehicle seat is fully installed within the vehicle.

Another exemplary embodiment relates to a vehicle seat cushion assembly for installing within a vehicle for use by an occupant. The vehicle seat cushion assembly comprises a seat frame, a first bracket, and a second bracket. The seat frame is configured to be located within the vehicle. The first bracket is configured to be coupled to the vehicle and includes one of a keyed passage and a keyed pin configured to be received within the keyed passage. The second bracket is coupled to the seat frame and includes the other one of the keyed passage and the keyed pin configured to be received within the keyed passage. The keyed passage is configured to receive the keyed pin only when the seat frame is in a position the seat frame is prevented from assuming after the vehicle seat cushion assembly has been installed in the vehicle.

The above features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of a split back rear passenger seat installation having a pivotally mounted seat back according to one exemplary embodiment;

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• Utility Patent

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